ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: wave · mate · spring · present · nail · sharp · cue · saw

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. mate — a friend
  3. cue — a signal
  4. present — there
  5. mate — to breed
  6. saw — the tool
  7. spring — a coil
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. cue — a hint
  10. present — the time now
  11. sharp — clever
  12. saw — the tool
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. present — a gift
  18. cue — for pool
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. spring — the season
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. mate — a partner
  24. spring — of water

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com